The Salamanca Collection, Hobart.

Much has already been about Hobart painter Chen Ping, a fast rising star in the artistic firmament.

With sell-out exhibitions interstate and now a show to coincide with the Olympic Games in China next year, Chen has to keep his nose to the grindstone to produce his brilliant paintings.

His last exhibition was of landscapes only, a break from his figure work for which he is so well-known. Although local buyers were a bit apprehensive about his new genre, his subsequent showing of these paintings in Sydney struck a note with audiences there, resulting in a sell-out (Are we just too conservative?)

In this exhibition Chen has returned to the human figure, his subject rendered in a contemporary and quite expressive mode - and a far cry from the traditional approach. While he may not look for a likeness in any form, the intuitive rendering of the figure is almost a lyrical application of paint, at once silky smooth with a lively vague notion of sensuality pervading the work.

Chen is a fine artist, modest, even humble in his dealings with fellow artists and clients, yet his work is backed by a firm conviction in his self-worth, an awareness of his talent and a belief in his profession. Among the artistic elite of the state, he has a fine future.

JOERG ANDERSCH